On the road: Even the cold can’t stop Alex smiling. © Alex Debogorski

Had any close calls?

I’ve never gone through the ice but I have had some situations. I had a collision last year – I just barely tapped him. I hit the brakes and couldn’t stop and he went into the snow bank. That’s a close call. Luckily there was no real damage.

What modifications do you make to the truck to proof it for winter?

With a big truck you put a belly tarp on it. We tie it on the front bumper back to the end of the transmission, roughly 9ft by 4ft wide to keep the warmth of the engine in. We have a cover over the radiator and if the engine starts overheating we can open flaps to keep the wind out of the engine in case it’s too cold. Obviously our fluids tend to be compatible with the weather so when we grease our vehicle we use winter grease and we use a lot of synthetic oils as they’ll flow in the cold weather.

What are you transporting?

Everything from toilet paper to huge excavators, we bring ‘em in. There are billion dollar diamond sites up there and also native villages and communities that are cut off in the summer by the lakes. Airplanes are more expensive so it’s cheaper to get there with a truck over winter. A typical journey might be Yellowknife to Ekati Dominion Diamond mine, which is about 250 miles (400km). If everything goes really well we’ll be there within 16 hours. Loaded we travel at speeds of 15mph (25km/h). Sometimes it’s even less.

What’s the best part?

We’re in places where you’d have to pay a lot money to get there as a tourist – not many people get to go there. The northern lights are phenomenal, the whole sky is lit up. The cold is exhilarating. Sometimes we’ll see a herd of 1000 caribou, wolves that are probably the size of a small cow. We’re in the tundra where there isn’t a tree. Even in a blizzard it’s exhilarating. These places are very remote. The people who live there sometimes can’t get there unless by plane or boat.

“The cold is exhilarating.” © Alex Debogorski

What equipment do you never leave home without?

Underwear! I have a propane torch for thawing things out, I have a big bar for prying things open, a sledgehammer, tyre chains, tow rope in case I have to be pulled or pull someone else out. Of course I have a box of food in case I have to sit there for a couple of days, I always make sure I got a couple of rolls of garlic sausage, water, lots of clothes, big heavy sleeping bag that’s good for 40 below.

“I’m always looking for a tough phone – a phone that’s still alive when you’ve dropped it and run over it with a big truck.”

What Apps do you use?

I’m not big on the whole computer thing. I just want a hardy phone I can make a call with, that’s all that I’m interested in. I have an iPhone but I don’t really use it. I’m always looking for a tough phone – a phone that’s still alive when you’ve dropped it and run over it with a big truck.

Driving in treacherous, freezing conditions and often over long hauls, it’s essential for Alex to have a phone with a long lasting battery that can survive the cold. With danger lurking around every corner he needs to know that he can stay in touch wherever he is – that’s why we’ve sent him a Cat^® S30 and we’ll be checking back in a few months to see whether it has stood the test of his rugged journeys.

Join in the conversation online with your own #RuggedStories at @Catruggedphones.

Skills required: rope work, an eye for good composition – and a head for heights. ©James Aldred

In a new series, we meet the people whose working lives are seriously extreme and demanding. This week, James Aldred – professional tree rigger and wildlife cameraman.

Job title: Technical rope access rigger and wildlife cameraman

Age: 40

Working Locations: The jungles and rainforests of South America, Africa and Asia. And festival venues in England.

Hazards of the job: Humidity, mould, heights, snakes, insects, violent eagles, partying revellers.

Favourite app: sunfollower

Tell us about your last job.

I was six weeks in Borneo, trying to film gibbons in the canopy. I spent a lot of time up in the trees rigging vertical tracking systems for the camera. We have these stabilised gyros that the camera sits on and that in turn is slung below a remote-controlled cable dolly that whizzes up and down. It’s quite a challenge and caused us a few headaches, but in the end the shots look great. I also rig aerial cameras at music festivals.

What are the skills required?

You’ve got to have the rope access skills, and be very certain of the physics involved especially in flying an aerial camera over the heads of people. It’s paramount that you understand things like safe working loads, minimum rating strengths, dynamic loading, peak impact forces. For the camera work, you need a detailed knowledge of composition and what works aesthetically. It’s very demanding.

“I used a riot police helmet and stab vest to protect me from an attack by eagles”

How harsh is your environment?

Humidity is the big issue in the rainforest. A lot of cameras these days are computers – they’re like the cockpit of a 747. The problem is, as soon as you get moisture in, it will shut down. Also, a lot of cameras get so hot they have internal fans, and they suck in dust and insects. The only way to get around that is to strip down and clean as often as possible. My iPhone hates it with a vengeance. It has fungus growing inside.

Cable camera in operation. “As as soon as you get moisture in, they shut down.” ©James Aldred

“My iPhone hates the rainforest with a vengeance”

And harsh for you too right?

I’ve been stung by bees and hornets and charged by elephants and was once attacked by harpy eagles in Venezuela. Certain birds of prey are very aggressive in protecting their young, quite rightly. As far as they’re concerned it’s a life and death scenario and if there’s a potential predator they’ll attack. So I used a riot police helmet and stab vest to protect me from an attack, and it worked for the most part, although the adult female did work out where the soft spot was, in my neck between my helmet and my stab vest. She got me in there and knocked me off the branch and knocked me out. But that’s very rare!

What equipment is most important to you?

You can’t operate without a head torch. I’ve been lost a couple of times in the rainforest and without a machete it’s pretty terrifying too. A battery pack is also vital so at least you have a backup to recharge.

A different kind of rigging, at a music festival in England. ©James Aldred

What Apps do you use?

Sunfollower is really handy for filming the sunrise – it’s important to know where to line up on the horizon whilst it’s still dark. I also use various film-making apps such as Red Tools, Donna and Viewfinder Cine.

Working up in the canopy and in hot, humid environments our waterproof and drop proof Cat phones work in extreme temperatures and are the perfect solution for James. We can’t wait to see how he gets on with his in the next few months.

Join in the conversation online with your own #RuggedStories at @Catruggedphones

What do you love about your S40?

The wet finger tracking for me is the big thing that I take advantage of because I’m grabbing the phone as soon as I’ve come straight out the water. I’m still in my wetsuit, using it with wet hands as we’re always hunting where’s good, phoning friends, trying to find which beach to head to. With the Cat^® phone, I don’t have to worry about damaging it.

Ever taken it on the water?

I have also used it during events to check heats and announcements. I’ve got a full-on wetsuit and I’ll stuff the phone in an inside pocket.

What else do you use it for?

I’ve been using it as a remote trigger for the GoPro. I use the phone to adjust the settings and also to connect to the camera afterwards to download the images.

Have you destroyed previous phones?

I have destroyed a couple of iPhones before.

“The freestyle’s tough on the body but the wave sailing is more tiring – it’s also pretty high risk.”

What else do you like about the phone?

I love the battery life. I can go days without charging sometimes. That’s a big plus. But when you’re on 3g it goes a bit faster.

What equipment do you never leave home without?

My windsurfing kit! That’s normally at least two boards, six sails, six masts, four booms. Coming out here I brought three boards and 12 sails – you’ve got to have all the toys ready to go! I’ve stopped working out how much I pay in excess baggage, but it’s at least €2,000 a year!

Best part of your lifestyle?

The ability to travel, see amazing places. To be able to windsurf all the time is just a dream for me. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.

Max uses a Cat^® S40. Water and dustproof credentials combined with wet finger tracking means that Max’s Cat phone is protected against sun, sea and sand. Whether answering calls, checking the weather or remotely controlling external devices, the Cat S40 rugged smartphone won’t let him down when facing a tough challenge.

Join in the conversation online with your own #RuggedStories at @Catruggedphones

Job title: Pro freeskier

Age: 27

Working Locations: Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, India

Hazards of the job: Avalanches, cold, falling

Favourite app: GoPro

Phone for the job: S60

What’s the best thing about freeskiing?

When you do this sport you don’t think about the future or the past, just about what you’re doing at that moment – and that’s a spectacular thing.

How do you use the phone?

I use the phone for everything to plan my tours with Google maps to taking pictures of mountain faces so I can check my [descent] line. Some lines are difficult to come down, usually when I drop in the face it is very steep and it can be difficult to see. So I look at the picture on my phone I’ve just taken to see where I have to go. The phone is really good because the battery lasts in cold temperatures. With other phones you don’t get the battery for the whole day in the backcountry when it’s -10º to -15º C.

What else?

I also use it as a remote for my GoPro. It’s really useful for when you want to post some POV [point of view] lines on Facebook, you can download the footage to the Cat phone and with the app you can cut some small videos. Last year in Switzerland I stayed in a mountain hut and was able to cut some small GoPro videos for social media without needing my laptop.

Any other apps?

I use the compass a lot for navigation but also to check the aspect of mountain faces to avoid the avalanche danger. For example, the weather may say the wind is from the north west and I can use the compass to look at the ridges, cornices and check what the wind is doing. I also use an app from Mammut to measure the angle of the mountain face.

Go on, what’s the steepest you’ve ridden?

It’s difficult to say. The north face of the Wildspitze [Austria’s second highest mountain] is nearly 60º and I skied that last November.

Have you ever dropped your phone?

Yes, I dropped it down a face! It must have fallen 150-200m over snow and rocks. Amazingly I found it and it was fine, nothing had happened. It was lucky I found it!

The weather must be pretty important for you?

The weather page is one of my most used on the internet after Facebook! The biggest issue is avalanche danger. You have to think about the wind, how strong it is, which direction is it coming from, how much snow is falling, how warm is the temperature, how is the old snow from the last few weeks…

What vital equipment do you always take with you?

I use a Mammut avalanche airbag. [This inflates when you pull a toggle and is designed to keep the victim on the surface of an avalanche.] Also my probe, my shovel my beacon and first aid kit.

Do you see a use for thermal imagery of the S60 in the mountains?

It would be interesting to see if it will detect warmth in the event of an avalanche burial but most of the time victims are buried 50cm under the snow. It could also be interesting to look at the different snow layers; if you can see the temperature difference it indicates snowpack stability. Maybe also it would be good for waxing your skis so you get the right temperature of wax!

Best part of the job?

You can realise your own ideas. It’s hard work, but it’s so much fun.

Phone for the job

Mario has been using the S40 until now but we think he could benefit from trying out the thermal imaging capacities of the S60.

Join in the conversation online with your own #RuggedStories at @Catruggedphones

Job title: Post-graduate nursing student at Gothenburg University

Age: 32

Hazards of the job: Snow, rain, cold

Favorite app: Geocaching

Current Cat phone: Cat^® S40

Let’s get the obvious question out of the way: why are you doing this?

There are different reasons, the main one being that I love spending time outdoors. I’ve been living in Gothenburg city, Sweden the last two and a half years; in the center of the concrete and coming from a small town in Norway with mountains and forests around me, I felt caved in. My girlfriend and I broke up and I found myself looking for an apartment or going for this. It’s been on my bucket list to try so I thought, ‘let’s just try see how it goes’.

And how is it going?

It’s becoming more and more comfortable. When I started out it was the middle of January and there was 10cm of snow and the temperature was -8-12ºC! That was the hardest part. When it was that cold, I had to use two sleeping bags. I got sick after the first week – I got a fever, which I most likely caught from crowded places. Physically, it’s easier now!

But this isn’t a survivalist exercise. You’re leading a normal life right?

Mostly I live a normal life. I go out with friends, I hang out. I study. I just go to bed differently.

What is the reaction of most people to what you’re doing?

A common thread is that many people are just waiting for me to quit but most think it’s cool. My family thinks I’m crazy of course.

“My family thinks I’m crazy”

Talk us through your set-up.

I live in a hammock which you string up and put a tarp over it when it rains. Or snows! I started a trial period on 21st December when it was really snowy. Officially though this experiment began March 1st.

What equipment do you use?

I use a multifuel stove, one of those ones you have to pump. I have of course a regular knife, an axe and a multi-tool. Beyond that I haven’t had a big need for anything specific.

Bathroom?

I wash clothes at a laundromat or with friends. I have a gym membership and go to university so I have access to showers and a kitchen. And toilets!

What’s the hardest part?

The mental challenge. When I’m tired, I can be like, do I have to do that? But when I put my head down on my sweater which I use as a pillow it’s just like, ‘aaaah’. I listen to the rain drops and realise, this is where I want to be.

The best part?

There have been some amazing sunsets and sunrises. You wake up to the sound of birds singing. That’s the most amazing part.

There must be things you miss?

Some days I do nothing and that’s easy in an apartment – you watch a movie and cook some food. I can’t lie in my hammock all day. But even though loneliness sucks it’s a good tool to cope with reality. You have to feel the loneliness and it becomes powerful.

Why did you choose a Cat phone?

I realised that my phone was not the best one for the conditions I was living in – one day it can be snow, the next rain and everything can be wet in five seconds. Every day there’s dust and water. I needed a phone that would handle that, so I did some research on who makes the best rugged phones. A Cat phone seemed to be the most likely survivor of this kind of living. And it is.

How do you like it?

It’s a tool for me that I don’t have to worry about. It would suck if I had to worry about my hammer or my axe. It’s my connection to the world.

What do you mostly use it for?

I use WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. I call sometimes too. The last thing I do before going to bed is to check my emails, like I do if would if I was in an apartment. I lead a regular life.

Follow the rest of Samuel’s camping journey here: https://www.instagram.com/mylifeinatent/

Samuel is already using the Cat^® S40. Its waterproof and dustproof capabilities mean he doesn’t have to worry about it letting him down while living outdoors and with its Military spec credentials he doesn’t have to worry about it surviving the elements.

Join in the conversation online with your own #RuggedStories at @Catruggedphones.

On what must have been one of the most beautiful days of the year so far I took two Cat S60 smartphones down to my Dive buddy Robert Hughes so I could to test the Cat S60’s Rugged and thermal credentials for myself. Rob is the Ex-Mayor of Portland and has been my dive master for about 3 years, and he knows more than a thing or two about diving.

After the required preparation on the Cat S60 of flicking the switches on the front to the 5 meter setting, in we went with the phones in the dive bag and cooled off in the Sea off Chesil Cove (Chesil Beach, Portland, Dorset, UK). We left one phone at 5 meters, and the other one we continued to take with us further on the dive (OK, I was trying to break it at depth, but don’t let the team know!).

Periodically we checked the phone as we went deeper as you can see in the footage. At just under 10 meters the phone went into android device recovery mode because of the water pressure acting like fingers pressing the buttons which I could feel as the pressure pushed the buttons in all the way and there was no movement. So, thinking the phone had died, Rob popped the device in his pocket, and we continued on our dive down to 12.2 meters in waters where visibility was at best, 4 meters, which was actually quite good for that part of the UK.

After collecting the other phone we purposefully left at 5 meters we returned to the surface after 42 minutes diving and having gone to a max depth of 12.2 meters. Whilst the phone that went to 5 meters was still on and beaming away, I thought I had trashed the other phone. However, Rob Hughes then switched the device on like nothing had happened and all functioning perfectly apart from needing a good wash to clear the sea water off.

The additional “James Bond” type moment was coming out of the water and being greeted by a message onscreen saying that it had been underwater, and offered an option to run an app that helps clear the speakers of water. On progressing and reminiscent of a dial-up modem, high pitch sounds were played through the speakers to help clear them. This was very impressive to me, the team at C-Waves Diving and anyone else in earshot!

Job title: Hardcore truck driver

Age: 42

Working Locations: Washington State and northern Canada.

Hazards of the job:  Rolling off narrow mountain roads, falling through ice.

Favourite app: Email

How long have you been trucking?

I have been driving trucks for 25 years. When I was 12 my dad showed me how to release the brakes and slide into gear and I started learning as soon as I could, when I was 18. It’s so much more than just driving. You got to know how to fix your truck in any situation – it consists of so many skill sets.

What kind of work are you doing?

In the summer time I’m a logging truck driver – it’s heavy duty work, and it doesn’t just consist of hauling logs at 5,000ft of elevation in the mountains on slushy snow and ice. It’s also hauling 250+lb of equipment into the mountains. It’s pretty tough work.

“I was convinced we were going to go over.”

How tough?

It’s some of the toughest driving in the world. When you’re trucking a low bed along a road that’s as wide as your truck and there’s a 3,000ft cliff on one side and you got to cut that corner where the tires are just dragging over the edge and you got an incline of anywhere from 12-20%…. It’s not the easiest job. Sometimes it consists of hooking up to a dozer and having someone else tow you because the incline is so steep. It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Any close calls?

I’ve had enough! There’s been lots of occasions where I’ve just pulled the breaks and jumped out the truck because I was convinced we were going to go over.

Any serious incidents?

Personally I’ve flipped at least two trucks in my lifetime. It’s quite the experience but you’ve got to get yourself back together and get back on the road.

Physically it must be pretty demanding?

Being in physical shape is a big part of it. When you’re out in the mountains by yourself and you have to lift these great big chains that weigh 100- 150lb a piece, you’ve got to be able to sling them over the tracks and get the torq on with the torq bar – and have the strength to do that.

“I’m always worried about the elements breaking my phone.”

What’s it like to drive the winter ice roads?

It started out for the money, but when you love to truck and you love tough experiences it starts to grow on you; you start to thrive in that environment. You want that adrenaline rush of rolling onto a frozen lake. It’s a big challenge and I look forward to it every year. How big a load can I take? How many loads am I going to get to these people? It’s not just about the trucking but about supplying these remote villages with what they need after the ice melts [when they become cutoff]. It’s a feeling of joy that I can’t explain. It’s an awesome experience.

Summer vs Winter, what would you chose?

Honestly I love both. I love trucking deep in the mountains and I love trucking ice roads. I’d hate to have to choose and give up one of them.

And you drive a Cat^® yourself?

I actually drive a 2013 CT660 back home. It’s a tough truck.

How important is a cell phone for you?

On the ice roads there’s no cell coverage. But in summer I have to have a cellphone. It’s very important if I have a breakdown, to get ahold of someone as fast as possible. What’s hard about being up there is that it rains all the time and I’m always worried about the elements breaking my phone.

Use any apps?

I do all my emailing and parts ordering on the phone. But there’s no App for the winter roads and there’s no App for the weather conditions for the roads that I go on!

We’re confident the Cat^® S60 is the phone for Todd. Surviving the cold and wet will prove no problem while its thermal imaging properties could come in very useful for truck maintenance on the ice.

Join in the conversation online with your own #RuggedStories at @Catruggedphones.